The news about the heart spread faster than the news about Snow's little affair with what was left of her husband. Rumpelstiltskin was the first to hear it because Sidney Glass boldly walked into his office and asked what he felt about the idea that his wife was a murderess who cut hearts out of women.

Rumpelstiltskin drove to the summer house just to make sure that Kathryn Nolan was alive. He was relieved to, in fact, find out she was.

And then, he had to go see Snow.

What had she done? He'd known that she was extremely worried about David getting thrown into the cage and not her, but surely this was a little much. Shoving a heart in the dirt and hoping for the best? Where did she get it? Regina's vault? No one would believe in magic yet, so to them it would just look like a still beating heart when to those like him and Snow, it would be wildly beating.

Woman, that went against the plan!

He walked into the station, prepared to give her an earful. She was curled up on the mattress when he came in.

Emma jumped up as soon as she saw him. She rushed forward, "You can't be here right now."

It was gentle and sympathetic but it was firm.

"Please sheriff," he made sure his voice was meek and he tried to look worried, "Just a few moments. She's my wife and I imagine…I'm about to be her lawyer."

Emma looked exhausted. Like she'd aged several years in one evening, "You're a lawyer?"

She already knew that of course, being in the same house with him but he imagined that there were so many things going on that his false occupation was the last thing she thought about.

"Well, she doesn't need a lawyer yet," Emma said, "Listen, this could save her life…when Mr. French broke into your house, did he take that jewelry box?"

Oh gods, it was tempting to put the blame on Moe. To set him up after what he did to Belle. But he had to stick with the plan, and Emma was zeroing in on him in such a way that she'd know he was lying.

"No."

That bothered Emma.

"But the door was open for a long time, anyone could've come in," he told her simply.

"It's still circumstantial," Emma muttered, "And considering your recent…temper tantrum over what Mr. French did, I'm guessing there haven't been any other break ins because if there had been, Kathryn Nolan wouldn't be the first mission person, now would she?"

He smirked, "Those deductive skills are precisely why you're the sheriff."

Emma glowered at him. Somewhere in that statement was an insult and she knew it, "She's all yours."

He walked forward and Emma cleared her throat.

"What?"

"You should know that I'm moving out…just for a few days until this is solved. I can't look partial. Regina would jump at the chance to get me fired."

"Yes, I think that would be best."

Emma walked back to her office with a nod and he turned back to Snow. She was already sitting up and she was already glaring at him, "What did you do?"

Rumpelstiltskin blinked, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"We had a plan, and if you're going to change that plan then you have to tell me!"

He looked behind him to make sure Emma couldn't hear, "You think "I" put that heart there? At a bridge on the off chance that Emma would go there? Snow, what sort of puppet master do you think I am?"

"I know exactly what sort of puppet master you are!"

Well, that was a fair point.

"So you think that I walk around cutting hearts out of people?"

Snow raised an eyebrow.

"Kathryn Nolan is FINE," he promised her, "And it wasn't me that put that heart there. I'm sticking to what we agreed on; we get you in jail, you slip away before Regina has you sent away, and we hide you in Jefferson's house. Emma searches for you while I move Kathryn Nolan to a place where Emma can find her and it all comes back on Regina after she's tried so hard to get you to take the fall. THAT'S our plan."

Snow looked confused, "So, it's not you."

"I had nothing to do with this heart business; I thought you did to protect David."

Snow looked sick, "I didn't!"

He nodded, "Regina then."

Snow cringed and put her face in her hands, "Gods."

Rumpelstiltskin looked at her, "This could be to our benefit."

"How?"

"The plan can still work, we'll just have to accelerate it now that it's obvious a murder took place" he told her, "We can still do this and believe it or not, this is to our benefit. If Regina's trying this hard to set you up then it'll be a spectacular fall from grace when it's obvious that she was framing you. Regina overplayed her hand dearie, we can get her now."

Snow rubbed her arms for warmth, "Okay."

"Okay," he told her and looked behind her at the empty cell, "Would you like me to bring you anything? Better pillows? Warmer blanket?"

"No," she sounded a bit more broken when she realized that she was going to spend the night there, "But would you…would you bring me a change of clothes tomorrow?"

He nodded, "Of course. I'll bring you some warm breakfast too, would you like that?"

Snow smiled, "Thank you."

He reached through the bars and took her hand, "This will work."

Any warmth quickly left her face, and she looked scared, "I hope so."

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Snow really wished that she'd taken Rumpelstiltskin up on his offer to let her have a warmer blanket and more comfortable pillows because she did not sleep.

Snow wasn't sure that she would have slept WITH a more comfortable environment.

Emma waited until the next morning to process Snow. Snow cringed as she stood in front of the camera and tried not to cry in front of Emma.

Things were worse now. Rumpelstiltskin thought it was great but Snow could know that in a matter of seconds, it could all go sideways and she'd be in a major amount of trouble.

"Please turn to the right," Emma told her.

Snow gave a pleading look to her daughter, "Emma, this is a mistake. I didn't kill Kathryn."

Emma gave her a sympathetic look. Ever since she'd arrested her, Emma did her best to be good to Snow, "Of course you didn't. But, while I am your friend, I am also the Sheriff. And I have to go where the evidence leads."

Even though this was what she wanted, Snow couldn't help but see the hypocrisy in that statement, "Which points to me? Emma, yesterday it was David. There's something not right here."

Emma walked forward, "I know. But, your fingerprints were on that box, and his are not. So, now we have to deal with this."

Snow nodded, "Evidence that says I cut out Kathryn's heart…and buried it in the woods. This is insane."

Emma put her hand on her shoulder and led her back to another room, "If I don't book you, with all this evidence, it's going to look like favoritism. And then, Regina will have cause and she will fire me. And then, you know what she'll do? She'll bring in someone who will railroad you. So, please – just try to be patient and trust me. We can't even move forward till we verify the heart belonged to Kathryn. And I am still waiting for the DNA test results. But, in the meantime, you need to bear with me. I have to ask you a few questions."

Snow followed her, "This is crazy. I would never hurt anyone."

Just use Rumpelstiltskin to do what he felt needed to be done.

Emma led her into a room that looked like it had doubled as a storage room over the years.

Regina turned around with a smirk. Snow nearly jumped backwards when she saw the cold maliciousness in her eyes, "Hello, Mrs. Gold"

Snow let out a panicked breath, "What is she doing here?"

Emma didn't look like she liked this anymore than Snow did, "She asked to be here as a third party to make sure that I stay impartial. It can only help you."

Regina being here didn't help anyone unless Rumpelstiltskin could twist this around to make her guilty, "I have nothing to hide. Ask me anything."

Regina's eyes narrowed so slightly.

Emma turned on the tape recorder and gave them both an uncomfortable look, "The heart was found buried near the old Toll Bridge. It had been cut out by what appears to be a hunting knife. Have you ever been to that bridge before?"

Snow nodded, "Yes, many times. It's where David and I liked to meet."

Emma got up and walked to the small locker on the other side of the room, "Mr. Nolan."

"Yes."

Emma pulled on her gloves, "And, you met there… For what purpose?"

Snow drew in a breath, "We were having an affair. I'm not proud of what happened, and I'm sorry. But that doesn't change the fact that I did not kill Kathryn."

"Have you ever seen this before?" Emma placed Mary Margaret's jewelry box in front of Snow. It'd used to have jewelry worth thousands of dollars; loving gifts from a loving husband. Snow hadn't even looked at it since she woke up. It was in the main bedroom and Snow could count on one hand how many times she'd gone into that room.

"Yes, it's my jewelry box."

"That's what we found the heart in," Emma said grimly.

Snow looked at Regina and then quickly at Emma, "Don't you see what's happening here? Someone stole that box and put the heart in it. I didn't have anything to do with it. I'm innocent!"

Regina's gaze darkened just briefly and that's all Snow needed to know to confirm she had everything to do with this, "Mrs. Gold, its okay. I know what you're going through. I know what it's like to lose someone you love. To be publicly humiliated. It put me in a very dark place. Changed me. I can only imagine what losing David Nolan did to you."

Snow stared down Regina. How dare she claim that she had been publicly humiliated when she had done everything she could to ruin Snow's life intentionally, "I did not do this."

Emma looked at Regina, "Can I speak to you in the hallway, please?"

They both left the room, Emma closed the door but it wasn't all the way.

"I told you to leave the questioning to me," she heard Emma snap.

"How do you know she didn't do it? If that box was stolen from her as she claims, don't you think there'd be signs of a break in? Or that it would've been listed when their house WAS broken into considering she's a well off woman and the jewelry would've been the first thing she looked at or at the very least her husband would've checked since he bought it. Well, you're her roommate – tell me. Has there been a break in? She is a woman who's had her heart broken, and that… That can make you do unspeakable things."

Snow clutched her hands together so tightly that her knuckles were white. She realized that she was shaking.

Regina took her family from her and she was all but gloating about it.

Emma came in, "We have to take you back to your cell, Mary Margaret."

Snow wordlessly followed Emma and stayed quiet until she got in her cell.

And when Emma went to her office, she hugged her pillow and sobbed.

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Snow spent the afternoon napping and her dreams were plagued with nightmares about losing Emma and losing Charming. And then Emma came into the room and told her worse news.

A hunting knife had been found in her heating vent.

Regina was really trying to get her framed and out of the way.

"The heating vent? Emma, I don't even know where the heating vent in my bedroom is!"

Emma stood there with her arms crossed, "Well, someone did, and they put a hunting knife in there. I checked for signs of a break in, but there weren't any."

"When Mr. French broke in-."

"The jewelry box and the jewelry wasn't reported, it's going to look like you used that break in to cover up the murder."

Snow felt her heart sink, "You don't believe me."

Emma looked hurt, "Of course I do. But what I think doesn't matter. The evidence is piling up by the hour."

Snow rested her forehead on the bars, "Okay, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying, you should think about hiring a lawyer."

"An excellent idea," Rumpelstiltskin said from the entrance of the sheriff station.

Emma scowled and turned, "Here to offer your legal services now?"

Rumpelstiltskin smirked, "I think you'd be well-advised to bring me on as your counsel, darling."

"You're married to her, can you even do that?" Emma demanded.

"Well, as I'm the only lawyer in this town, I don't see any reason why I can't," he smiled at Snow, "I don't need to remind you dear, that the Sheriff had me arrested for nearly beating a man to death, and I managed to persuade the judge to drop the charges."

Snow shuddered; Moe French was still in the hospital.

Emma glared, "Asserting your influence isn't what's needed here. We need to find the truth."

"Exerting influence may be exactly what's needed here."

"What's needed here, is for me to do my job," Emma snapped.

"Well, no one's stopping you," he replied equally as testy, "I'm only here to help."

"Enough," Snow snapped, "Please go."

Emma continued to glare at Rumpelstiltskin, "You heard her."

Snow shook her head, "No, I was talking to you. Oh, Emma, he's right. I need help. And you need to do your job, or else I'm screwed. So, just please – do your job the best you can, and you'll prove me innocent. Until you do, I need some practical help."

Rumpelstiltskin practically slithered up to Emma, "Trust me. This is in my wife's best interest."

"Good luck, Mary Margaret," Emma turned and gave a pointed look to Rumpelstiltskin, "I hope your best interests are what he's looking out for.

He gave an amused smile as she stormed away and returned to her office.

"I'm not sure my stepdaughter likes me all that much, dearie."

Snow wrapped her arms around herself, she didn't have time for his games, "Regina was there during the interrogation."

He grew serious, "I know. I heard."

Snow looked down.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm not sure," Snow looked up, "She was there, Rumpelstiltskin, she was trying to make herself out to be the victim."

"You know, she isn't, right?" he leaned forward, "If you hadn't told Cora about Daniel then she would've still found out. She would've hunted them down. And even if it was your fault…what she's done to your family has crossed a line."

Snow looked up, "Would you believe that if she hadn't forced us together?"

"Oh, I'd still believe it," he told her, "I just probably wouldn't say it out loud."

Snow smiled a little, "We have to accelerate everything, now Emma's saying she found what could be the murder weapon."

"Yes, I heard about that too," he told her seriously, "It has to be tonight."

"Jefferson knows?"

"He'll be waiting to pick you up at the road leading to his house."

"Okay," Snow nodded.

"Good luck," he whispered, "It won't be long now."

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That evening, Snow sat on the edge of the bed with the skeleton key in her hands that Regina planted.

Just wait for everyone to go to sleep and go meet Jefferson. He would take her in and watch over her until the curse broke. Rumpelstiltskin had told her not to show her face until then because she'd be a fugitive and Emma would have to press charges.

How long would that be? Not being able to see or speak with her daughter.

The idea made Snow hug herself. She'd already been separated from Emma once; she didn't want to be separated again.

"Mary Margaret?"

Snow looked up and quickly pocketed the key when she saw her visitor, "David."

He crept forward, "Emma said we could have a few minutes alone. I wanted to tell you, that Dr. Hopper helped me remember what happened during my blackouts."

Snow smiled, maybe those blackouts were his real memories peeking through, "And?"

He looked down, "Uh, I… I only, um, got pieces of the memory, but… We were in the woods, and I kept saying, 'don't do it'."

Snow tiled her head, "Don't do what?"

"Don't kill her. That's what I kept saying."

"Kathryn?" Snow asked in confusion, "You think you remember me wanting to kill Kathryn?"

He gave her an angry look, "Can you explain why I have that memory?"

Gods, no. He had an actual memory alright, but he was interpreting it all wrong, "David? Are you asking me if I had something to do with Kathryn's murder?"

"The Sheriff found a heart in our spot. It was in your jewelry box. The weapon was found in your apartment. And I have these… These memories. So, yes, I'm asking."

Did he really think she was capable of…?

Snow felt the tears start to fall. She'd been through many betrayals in her life but this was the worst, "When your phone records came back, when I found you wandering in the woods, when everyone thought you killed Kathryn, I stood by you. I never once doubted you. And, now that everything is pointing to me, you actually think I am capable of that kind of evil?"

He was quiet and Snow felt the hurt and the grief dissolve into anger, "Get. Out."

He turned to leave and she collapsed on the bed.

No one here supported her but Rumpelstiltskin and Emma.

She was leaving.

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Every heartbeat hurt as Snow lay there as the evening wore on.

She'd never thought that David would turn against her. Of all people, she'd hoped that the connection he'd felt with her was enough to make him stand by her.

It wasn't.

Emma came in an hour later. In her hands was a bag from Granny's and a coffee, "Hey. Dinner."

Snow accepted it, "Thanks.'

She didn't have the appetite for any dinner. She quietly walked over to the bed and sat back down.

Emma leaned against the bars, "I know Mr. Gold doesn't want us to talk, but I thought you should hear this from me. The test results came back on the heart… And the DNA was a match for Kathryn. She's dead."

Snow cringed but she still stared ahead.

This could only be for their benefit. It would only further indict Regina

I'm sorry – for a lot of things. But, now that we have proof of the death, we have enough evidence to move forward with a case against you. It's going to happen. You know I do believe you, right?"

Snow managed a nod, "Yeah."

Snow's eyes filled with tears, "All this evidence tells me one thing for certain – that you are being framed. And I think Regina's behind it."

Snow turned to her daughter, "Then why am I still in here? Why don't you confront her?"

"Because, belief is not proof."

"But you just said-"

"If I don't do this right, things will end up worse for you," Emma told her, using the exactly same logic that Snow had been using to protect her own family, "Every time I've gone up against Regina, she's seen it coming, and I've lost."

"So, what makes this time any different?"

"Because she doesn't know I suspect anything."

Yes, this was the same logic that Snow had been using to justify the things she'd done.

"I don't know why she's doing this to you, but I'm going to find out. And I promise, I won't stop until I expose what she's up to."

"And how are you going to do that?" Snow asked in an almost defeated tone, "This is her town."

"I'm working on it, I have faith in you. And now, I need you to have faith in me," Emma grabbed her mother's hand, "Can you do that?"

Snow wished that she could have faith in her daughter but Emma wanted to play by the rules like they did. Regina wouldn't. So unless Emma took this further than she was willing to go…then Regina was going to win.

So she couldn't rely on Emma, she had to rely on herself and Rumpelstiltskin.

But Emma was here. She was about to start crying and she needed someone to believe in her and have faith in her. And Snow believed that Emma could save them, but she couldn't save Snow from this.

So Snow lied, "Of course."

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Rumpelstiltskin had expected Emma to come to him for help the minute she found that knife in the heating vent.

He just hadn't expected her to take all day about it. He was checking over some things in the back before he went home for the night.

He had to admit that now that Emma and Snow weren't in the house and he didn't know when he'd see either of them again, there was a part of him that was going to miss them. It was too quiet already without Emma's constant clomping around in her boots.

"Mr. Gold," Emma found him that evening.

He gave her a warm smile and went to sit down with the genie lamp in her hands, "Just taking inventory. What can I do for you, Miss Swan? Any developments in the case I should be aware of?"

"Yes. Regina set her up."

He scoffed, finally his little Miss Emma Swan was coming around, "And this surprises you? Show me your evidence, and we'll get this over with immediately."

Emma leaned forward, "Yeah, that's the thing. There isn't any. Anything that's court-worthy. But I know it now."

He smirked, "Look who's suddenly become a woman of faith. Why are you here, Miss Swan? To spin conspiracy theories?"

Emma looked disgusted, "I need help."

He put his hands to his chest and smirked just so she knew how rich he found that, "From me?"

"Every time I've gone up against Regina, I've lost. Except for once, when I became Sheriff. When you helped."

"As I recall, you don't exactly approve of my methods," he gleefully reminded her.

"I approve of your results. And this time, I have something more important than a job. I need to save my friend."

And lifted up the magnifying glass, "And you're willing to go as far as it takes?"

Emma nodded, "Farther."

He grinned coldly, "Now we're talking."

And he saw Emma realize that she might've made a mistake.

"Fear not, Miss Swan," he told her comfortingly, "Regina may be powerful, but something tells me you're more powerful than you know."

He saw the doubt in Emma's eyes but he ignored it.

She would know what she was capable of soon.

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Snow wasn't wearing the right shoes for walking through the woods to the road that she needed to get to in order to meet Jefferson. So by the time Snow met him at the car, she was limping.

"Hey," Jefferson got out of the car as soon as she cleared the brush.

"Hey," Snow greeted.

Jefferson wrapped his arms around Snow and she quickly returned it.

"Oh Jefferson," she whispered, "Everything's gone insane and I don't know who I am anymore"

"Shhh," he wrapped his arms around her and walked her to the car, "Let's get you somewhere warm and you can tell me about it."